Ship Wars: 'One Tree Hill' edition

Ship Wars is going to North Carolina! One Tree Hill trudged along for nine dramatic seasons, but for the first six, fans had to pick a side. Who did Lucas Scott—brooding writer and heartbroken (literally) basketball star—belong with? Was it bubbly, flirty head cheerleader and fashion designer Brooke Davis? Or was it angsty, music-driven Peyton “People Always Leave” Sawyer? These two best friends fought over Lucas for four seasons, before he finally told Peyton “It’s you.” (Then there was a bit when they broke up, too, and Lucas almost married his editor, Lindsay, but honestly, nobody thought that was going to last.)

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Even though Lucas and Peyton technically ended up together and got married and had a baby or whatever, we fans remain conflicted. So we the shippers present our arguments to you below. And like all Ravens, you too must pick a side: Brucas or Leyton?

Samantha Swank, Team Brooke

I firmly believe that if not for Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush’s real-life marriage and subsequent (nasty) divorce, Brooke and Lucas would have been endgame. But alas, art imitated life, and Brucas ended things for good in season four. But oh, how I shipped them.

When we were first introduced to B. Davis, she was the party girl with the very active sex life. But they were so good for each other. Brooke forced Lucas to relax and have fun, and Lucas let Brooke be emotional and serious. He saw beyond her party-girl exterior and helped her become a better, stronger person.

Brucas was very on-again/off-again (thanks mostly to drama with Peyton). After one sweet (but ill-timed) love declaration by Lucas in the season two finale, Brooke spends her whole summer writing him letters—82 of them, to be exact. But Brooke was afraid of letting Lucas in again after he broke her heart the last time, and SHE NEVER SENT THEM. She finally hands the whole box to Lucas and, crying, tells him, “This is how I spent my summer, Luke, wanting you.” I AM VERY EMOTIONAL.

Lucas’ book, An Unkindness of Ravens, is about his life and his relationship with his brother and his love story with Peyton. But B. Davis made an appearance in the book too. Luke wrote: “She was fiercely independent, Brooke Davis. Brilliant and beautiful and brave … Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday, and I’m not sure she even knows it.” This was written by a man who was not in love with her. OKAY, SURE. JUST FRIENDSHIP HERE, FOLKS.

Brooke makes Lucas fight for her, and he does, over and over again. He makes stupid speeches in the rain, and tells everyone who will listen that he’s the guy for her. He’s paints his door red for her. In a perfect world, Jake Jagielski would have come back to Peyton, and Brooke and Lucas would have lived happily ever after. But shipping is pain, so OBVIOUSLY that didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love Julian, but Lucas was the guy for you, Brooke Davis.

“Peyton Sawyer will become Peyton Scott.” That’s what Lucas wrote in the eighth grade. Now, of course it could be argued that when we’re kids, we pretend to “marry” people all the time, but I don’t know any 14-year-old boy who’d write that and mean it.

Lucas has loved Peyton since the eighth grade. It took a while for Peyton to finally fall for him too, but once she did, she could never really let him go. These two were meant for each other. They both dealt with their own issues of identity and figuring out who they were. Lucas struggled to find his footing in a town where his half-brother was a star and his father chose to act like Lucas didn’t exist. Peyton was a cheerleader who wanted to be above it all and just do her art and listen to her music, still struggling with the loss of her mom and what that meant.

They understood each other in a way that no one else would and ever could have. Never forget when Lucas said the one thing that Peyton needed to hear in season one: “Your art matters. It’s what got me here.” These two were made for each other, and no matter what, they continued to find their way back to each other. I definitely think the way they went about being together was wrong—hurting Brooke was messed up, and how Brooke and Peyton remained friends will forever be a mystery to me—but I do think Peyton and Lucas as a couple makes much more sense than Brooke and Lucas. Plus Julian and Brooke are perfect together, so everyone’s happy.

Lucas was always saving Peyton, whether it was from the school shooting or Psycho Derek, and in return, Peyton gave him the true love he was always looking for. These two are much better together than they are apart. They’ve been to hell and back together, and have always come out the other side stronger than ever before. Peyton is the one Lucas wants standing next to him when all his dreams come true. It was always her, and it always will be.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons